Chapala Mexican Restaurant, Sanger

There are MANY Mexican restaurants in the area where we live, but we frequent this one perhaps more than any other. The cuisine is very solid in quality. While some of the entrees are not quite as fancy as you will find at some of the more pricey restaurants in the Fresno area, there are specialties here that you won't easily find elsewhere. If you like enchiladas, they offer a much wider selection of unusual types here than you will see at other area restaurants (I recommend the chile verde enchiladas myself). Plus, they always give you two kinds of salsa to go with your meal. The owner and most of the servers there know us by now and are extremely friendly. Since we have five small kids, how restaurant owners/workers treat us when we go out is quite important! It's not located in the best area of Sanger (Sanger isn't the safest, cleanest town around in general, though), but the prices are low and the atmosphere is enjoyable.

Prices are not high, the are very affordable. This is not Taco Bell. Owner makes sure he addresses everyone when they walk through the door. Pleasant atmosphere and waitresses are on the ball.

While Sanger has several Mexican restaurants, Chapala is tops in several areas. Number one, of course, is that the food is good. You can expect consistency. It's not hit-and-miss like some places. If you like a dish today, you'll enjoy it again the next time. The portions are generous. It's rare to have to wait to be seated. The food is served quickly. It's a good place to go when you have a limited amount of time at lunch. It's clean. I've been to several local restaurants that don't appear to put cleanliness very high on their list of priorities. The owner is almost always on site. He personally asks if you are enjoying your meal. He's not above bussing tables when needed. It's comfortable. Chapala bucks the trend of squeezing in as many tables/booths as possible. You don't feel like you're going to bump someone at the next table when you push your chair back. The food is a little pricey. Remember to take into consideration that the independent restaurants in Sanger are competing with local chains that can offer lower prices due to volume.